Air sanitation device for refrigerator and refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator has an air sanitation device. The air sanitation device includes: a housing; an air channel located in the housing and having an air inlet and an air outlet; a fan located in the air channel, to force air to enter the air channel from the air inlet, and then be discharged out of the air channel from the air outlet; and an air detection device and/or an air purification device located between the air inlet and an inlet of the fan.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of ChinesePatent Application CN 202011588466.X, filed Dec. 29, 2020; the priorapplication is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an air sanitation devicefor a refrigerator and a refrigerator.

Chinese patent application CN110878998A discloses a refrigerator,including a storage compartment having a front opening, a door forclosing the storage compartment, and an air sanitation device fixed to atop wall of the storage compartment. The air sanitation device includesa housing and an air detection device and/or an air purification devicelocated in the housing.

Chinese patent application CN105148313A discloses a sterilization anddeodorization device for a refrigerator. The sterilization anddeodorization device includes a housing provided with an airflowchannel, a sterilization module located in the airflow channel, and adeodorization filtering module filled with sepiolite and locateddownstream of the sterilization module. The sterilization anddeodorization device further includes an LED light bar, which isconfigured to make a ray of light emitted by the LED light bar exitthrough a central panel of a cover body of the housing, therebyintegrating functions of sterilization, deodorization, and illumination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of embodiments of the present invention is to provide animproved air sanitation device for a refrigerator and a refrigerator.

Another objective of the embodiments of the present invention is toprovide an air sanitation device with more reliable performance for arefrigerator and a refrigerator.

An aspect of the embodiments of the present invention relates to an airsanitation device for a refrigerator, including: a housing; an airchannel located in the housing, and including an air inlet and an airoutlet; a fan located in the air channel, to force air to enter the airchannel from the air inlet, and then be discharged out of the airchannel from the air outlet; and an air detection device and/or an airpurification device located between the air inlet and an inlet of thefan.

In an implementation in which the air detection device is locatedbetween the fan and the air inlet, the air detection device may obtainmore accurate sanitation parameters of to-be-detected ambient air,thereby helping improve the reliability of the air sanitation device. Inan implementation in which the air purification device being disposedbetween the fan and the air inlet, air is purified before entering thefan, thereby helping reduce an adverse effect of the air entering theair channel from the outside on the fan and devices disposed downstreamof the fan.

In a possible embodiment, the air detection device includes a gas sensorfixed to a circuit board.

In a possible embodiment, the air channel is configured to enable air toflow along a side of the circuit board to which the gas sensor is fixed,and a direction that the inlet of the fan faces is opposite to adirection in which the gas sensor protrudes from the circuit board.

In a possible embodiment, the air sanitation device includes a pair ofboundary walls in opposite arrangement to define at least a part of theair channel, the gas sensor protrudes from the circuit board toward afirst boundary wall of the pair of boundary walls, the inlet of the fanfaces a second boundary wall of the pair of boundary walls, and the gassensor is closer to the first boundary wall than the inlet of the fan.The first boundary wall and/or the second boundary wall may be formed bycorresponding parts of the housing or other components located in thehousing, such as a partition member or a carrying plate.

In a possible embodiment, the first boundary wall is located above thesecond boundary wall, the gas sensor protrudes upward from the circuitboard toward the first boundary wall, the inlet of the fan facesdownward the second boundary wall, and an upper end of the gas sensor ishigher than the inlet of the fan.

In a possible embodiment, the gas sensor includes a sensing elementenclosed in a cavity and a permeable layer covering an inlet of thecavity, and the permeable layer is higher than the inlet of the fan.

In a possible embodiment, the permeable layer is higher than at least apart of the air inlet.

In a possible embodiment, the circuit board is fixed to a carryingplate, a gap is disposed between the circuit board and the carryingplate, and the gap is closed by a closing portion at an upstream side ofthe circuit board close to the air inlet.

In a possible embodiment, the air sanitation device includes the firstboundary wall and the second boundary wall in opposite arrangement todefine the air channel. The air detection device and/or the airpurification device are fixed to the second boundary wall, and the airinlet is configured to enable air to enter the air inlet and then flowobliquely toward the first boundary wall.

In a possible embodiment, the inlet of the fan faces the second boundarywall, so that the air flows obliquely downward at least in some segmentsbetween the air detection device and/or the air purification device andthe inlet of the fan.

In a possible embodiment, the housing includes an upper wall, a lowerwall, and a side wall. The side wall includes an oblique portioninclined downward, the air inlet is located on the oblique portion, andthe inlet of the fan is open downward.

In a possible embodiment, the air purification device includes: an airfilter located between the air inlet and the fan; and/or a sterilizationdevice located between the fan and the air outlet.

In a possible embodiment, the air sanitation device includes a partitionmember and an illumination device that are located in the housing, thehousing includes a light outlet, the air detection device and/or the airpurification device are located at a first side of the partition memberaway from the light outlet, and the illumination device is located at asecond side of the partition member facing the light outlet.

Another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention relates to arefrigerator, including a storage compartment and the air sanitationdevice according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, where the airsanitation device is located in the storage compartment.

In a possible embodiment, the air sanitation device is fixed to a topwall of the storage compartment, and the air channel is configured toenable air to be discharged out from a rear part of the housingobliquely downward.

Other features of the present invention are shown in the claims,accompanying drawings, and description of the accompanying drawings. Thefeatures and feature combinations described in the foregoing descriptionand the features and feature combinations described in the descriptionof the following accompanying drawings and/or simply shown in theaccompanying drawings can not only be presented by the describedcombination manners, but also be presented by other combinations orseparately without departing from the scope of the present invention.The embodiments of the present invention that are not described and notspecifically shown in the accompanying drawings but can be thought offrom the detailed description of the embodiments and that can beobtained from combinations of various features shall be considered to beincluded and disclosed.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin an air sanitation device for a refrigerator and a refrigerator, it isnevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, sincevarious modifications and structural changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and within the scope andrange of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be bestunderstood from the following description of specific embodiments whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigerator having anair sanitation device according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air sanitation deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial three-dimensional view of the refrigeratorhaving the air sanitation device according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view of the air sanitation deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air sanitation deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional view of the air sanitation deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention, where a firsthousing is removed;

FIG. 7 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the refrigeratorhaving the air sanitation device according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic exploded, perspective view of the air sanitationdevice according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air sanitation deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first,particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a refrigerator 100 whichincludes a storage compartment 101 having a front opening 10 and a door102 for closing the storage compartment 101.

In an embodiment, a top wall 1010 of the storage compartment 101 may bea top wall of a refrigerator body 1001 of the refrigerator 100. Thestorage compartment 101 may extend from an upper part of therefrigerator body 1001 to a lower part, or another storage compartmentis further disposed in a lower part of the storage compartment 101. Itshould be understood that, in an alternative embodiment, it is possiblethat another storage compartment is further provided in an upper part ofthe storage compartment 101.

The refrigerator 100 may include an air duct 103 for conveying cooledair to the storage compartment 101. The air duct 103 may be disposed ina rear part and/or a top part of the storage compartment 101. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 1, the air duct 103 is disposed in the rearpart of the storage compartment 101.

The refrigerator 100 may include an air duct fan 104 for forming forcedair circulation in a storage region of the storage compartment 101 andthe air duct 103. For example, during operation of the air duct fan 104,air in the air duct 103 enters the storage region of the storagecompartment 101 through an air vent 107, and the air in the storageregion of the storage compartment 101 returns to the air duct 103 froman air return vent 108.

An evaporator 105 may be disposed in the air duct 103. In otherembodiments, cold air in the air duct 103 also comes from anotherstorage compartment.

The refrigerator 100 includes an air sanitation device 1 for detectingat least one air sanitation related parameter in the storage compartment101 and/or purifying air in the storage compartment 101. In someembodiments, the air sanitation device 1 is merely used for detectingthe air sanitation related parameter in the storage compartment 101. Insome other embodiments, the air sanitation device 1 has a purificationdevice, such as any device adapted to perform sterilization anddeodorization. In still other embodiments, the air sanitation device 1may include an air detection device and an air purification device.

In an exemplary example, as shown in FIG. 2, the air sanitation device 1may include a housing 2, an air channel 3 located in the housing 2, andan air detection device 5 and an air purification device 6 located inthe air channel 3.

Air from outside (for example, the storage compartment 101) may enterthe air channel 3 through an air inlet 31, and be discharged out of theair channel 3 through an air outlet 32. The air inlet 31 and the airoutlet 32 may be formed in the housing 2.

The air sanitation device 1 includes a fan 4 located in the air channel3, to force the air from the outside to enter the air channel 3 and bedischarged out of the housing 2 after flowing through the air detectiondevice 5 and the air purification device 6. A flow direction of the airin the air channel 3 may be shown by an arrow a.

The air detection device 5 may be configured to detect at least one gasparameter in the storage compartment 101. For example, the gas parametermay include whether there are one or more types of gases, and/orcontents or concentrations of ingredients of one or more types of gases.The air detection device 5 may be further configured to detect germrelated parameters in air.

In an embodiment, the air detection device 5 detects concentrations oftotal volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in the storage compartment 101.

The air detection device 5 may include a first circuit board 50 and agas sensor 51 fixed to the first circuit board 50. The gas sensor 51 maybe, but is not limited to, a metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensor, andthe gas sensor may include a semiconductor sensing element and a heaterfor heating the semiconductor sensing element.

The air purification device 6 may include any one or more of an airfilter, an ultraviolet sterilization device, an ion generation device,an ozone generation device, and the like. Different purification devicesmay be integrated into one module or be separately arranged.

The air purification device 6 may be located downstream of the airdetection device 5 and be arranged in the air channel 3.

Therefore, the air purification device 6 may be located between the airdetection device 5 and the air outlet 32.

In an exemplary embodiment, the air purification device 6 includes anion generator 61, and the ion generator 61 is configured to releaseicons into the air channel 3. A power supply unit 63 for supplying powerto the ion generator 61 is located in the housing 2.

The air purification device 6 may further include an air filter 62. Theair filter 62 may be a physical and/or chemical filter, such as anadsorption filter or an enzyme filter (for example, Pt filter).

In an embodiment, when the air sanitation device 1 is arranged in anon-freezing compartment, the air filter 62 is arranged upstream of theion generator 61, to filter impurities in air and reduce humidity of airflowing through the ion generator 61. It is found in experiments that,this can effectively reduce foreign substances gathered on a tip of theion generator 61, thereby significantly reducing a possibility thatcrystals are generated on the tip of the ion generator 61 due to theimpurities and water vapor in the air adhering to the tip and thenproductions of ions and ozone are reduced. Therefore, sterilizationefficiency of the air purification device 6 may be improved.

In an embodiment, the air filter 62 is arranged upstream of the fan 4,and the ion generator 61 is arranged downstream of the fan 4. In animplementation having the air detection device 5, the air filter 62 islocated between the air detection device 5 and the ion generator 61.

The air sanitation device 1 may include a control unit 16 operativelyconnected to the air detection device 5. The control unit 16 is adaptedto receive a signal from the air detection device 5. The control unit 16may alternatively be configured to be adapted to send an instruction tothe air detection device 5.

The control unit 16 may be operatively connected to the fan 4. The fan 4may operate or stop operating based on the instruction of the controlunit 16.

The control unit 16 may be operatively connected to the power supplyunit 63. The power supply unit 63 may supply power to the ion generator61 based on the instruction of the control unit 16.

A baffle wall 161 around the control unit 16 and a baffle wall 631around the power supply unit 63 are disposed in the housing 2, to reducea chance that air is in contact with the control unit 16 and the powersupply unit 63. In an embodiment, the control unit 16 and the powersupply unit 63 are disposed adjacent to a rear wall 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air channel 3 includes a first channel segment38 located between the air inlet 31 and the fan 4, and a second channelsegment 39 located between the fan 4 and the air outlet 32. The firstchannel segments 38 extend transversely toward the fan 4, and the secondchannel segment 39 extends toward the rear wall 22 in a front-to-reardirection.

In an embodiment, an air inlet 31 is disposed on each side wall 21, apair of first channel segments 38 merge at an inlet 41 of the fan 4, andthe second channel segment 39 extends rearward from an outlet 42 of thefan 4.

The baffle walls 631 and 161 are disposed between the first channelsegments 38 and the rear wall 22, to define mounting regions 27 betweenthe rear wall 22 and the baffle walls 631 and 161, at least one electriccomponent is disposed in the mounting regions 27, and the electriccomponent is electrically coupled to the air detection device 5 and/orthe air purification device 6. The electric component may include thecontrol unit 16 and/or the power supply unit 63 electrically coupled tothe air detection device 5 and/or the air purification device 6.

The housing 2 may include two mounting regions 27, and the secondchannel segment 39 is located between the two mounting regions 27 in atransverse direction of the air sanitation device 1.

Therefore, the air channel 3 extends from front parts of two sides ofthe housing 2 toward the middle of the housing 2, and is dischargedtoward a rear part of the housing 2 after passing through the fan 4. Thecontrol unit 16 and the power supply unit 63 are located at two sides ofthe second channel segment 39 of the air channel 3.

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial three-dimensional view of a refrigeratorhaving an air sanitation device according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic three-dimensional view of anair sanitation device according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an airsanitation device. As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, a housing 2 includes afront wall 20 facing a front opening 10, a rear wall 22 facing a rearpart of a storage compartment 101, a bottom wall 23, an upper wall 24,and a pair of side walls 21.

The housing 2 may include a first housing 28 and a second housing 29. Anair channel 3 is located between the first housing 28 and the secondhousing 29.

An air inlet 31 is located at a side part of the housing 2. The airinlet 31 may be located at a single side or two sides of the housing 2.An air outlet 32 is located at a rear part of the housing 2. Air fromthe storage compartment 101 enters the housing 2 from two sides of theair sanitation device 1, and finally returns to the storage compartment101 from the rear part of the housing 2.

The housing 2 may be flat, and the air channel 3 in the housing 2 isalso flat. A pair of boundary walls in opposite arrangement define atleast a part of opposite boundaries of the air channel 3. In thisembodiment that a first boundary wall 3A is located above a secondboundary wall 3B in the pair of boundary walls, the first boundary wall3A may also be referred to as an upper boundary wall, and the secondboundary wall 3B may also be referred to as a lower boundary wall.

In an embodiment, the first boundary wall 3A is formed by the upper wall24 of the housing 2.

In an embodiment, the second boundary wall 3B is located between theupper wall 24 and the bottom wall 23 of the housing 2. The secondboundary wall 3B may be formed by a carrying member 7 for carrying anair detection device 5 and/or an air purification device 6. It should beunderstood that, in other embodiments of the present invention, thesecond boundary wall 3B may alternatively be formed by, for example, thebottom wall 23.

A plurality of air inlets 31 are distributed at intervals on the sidewalls 21. The air inlets 31 may be distributed over most of lengths ofthe side walls 21 in a front-to-rear direction, and even some air inlets31 may overlap a control unit 16 or a power supply unit 63 of an iongenerator 61.

In an implementation, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the side walls 21include an oblique portion 210 that makes the housing 2 graduallycontract in a width direction of the storage compartment 101 in atop-to-bottom direction, and the air inlet 31 is located at the obliqueportion 210. Therefore, when the air sanitation device 1 is mounted on atop part of the storage compartment 101, the air inlet 31 is obliquelydownward, which helps air enter the air sanitation device 1.

The air channel 3 includes an introduction segment 33 through which airflows obliquely upward. After entering the air inlet 31, the air flowsobliquely upward toward the upper wall 24 of the housing 2. An inlet ofa fan 4 is lower than the upper wall 24, to drive air to flow obliquelydownward.

In an embodiment, the air channel 3 is configured to enable air to flowalong a side of a first printed circuit board 50 to which a gas sensor51 is fixed, and a direction that an inlet 41 of the fan 4 faces isopposite to a direction in which the gas sensor 51 protrudes from thecircuit board 50.

In an embodiment, in a pair of opposite boundary walls of the airchannel 3, the gas sensor 51 protrudes from the first circuit board 50toward the first boundary wall 3A, the inlet 41 of the fan 4 faces thesecond boundary wall 3B, and the gas sensor 51 is closer to the firstboundary wall 3A than the inlet 41 of the fan 4.

When the air sanitation device 1 is mounted on a top wall 1010 of thestorage compartment 101, the gas sensor 51 protrudes from the firstprinted circuit board 50 toward the upper boundary wall of the airchannel 3, and the inlet 41 of the fan 4 faces the lower boundary wallwhich defines a lower boundary of the air channel 3. The gas sensor 51is closer to the upper boundary wall of the air channel 3 than the inlet41 of the fan 4.

In an embodiment, the gas sensor 51 may include a sensing element 52fixed to the circuit board 50, a sensor cover 53 protruding from thecircuit board 50 and having an accommodating cavity for accommodatingthe sensing element 52, and a permeable layer 54 for covering an inletof the accommodating cavity. The permeable layer 54 covers an inlet of afree end of the sensor cover 53, to allow air to pass through thepermeable layer 54 to enter the sensor cover 53 and be in contact withthe sensing element 52. The permeable layer 54 may be substantiallyparallel to the first circuit board 50 or the second boundary wall 3B ofthe air channel 3.

The permeable layer 54 is higher than the inlet 41 of the fan 4, so thatthe permeable layer 54 is closer to the first boundary wall 3A of theair channel 3 than the inlet 41 of the fan 4.

As shown in FIG. 5, at least a part of the air inlet 31 is lower thanthe permeable layer 54. For example, the permeable layer 54 is at leasthigher than a lower edge of the air inlet 31. In a vertical direction,the permeable layer 54 may be completely located above the air inlet 31.

The air detection device 5 is located between the air inlet 31 and thefan 4. In this way, the air inlet 31 makes air flow obliquely toward thefirst boundary wall 3A after entering the air inlet 31. The inlet 41 ofthe fan 4 faces the second boundary wall 3B, and sequentially, air flowsobliquely downward in at least a part of segments between the airdetection device 5 and the inlet of the fan 4. The air flows obliquelyupward and then flows obliquely downward between the air inlet 31 andthe fan 4, and a part of the air may have potential energy of movementin the vertical direction when flowing through the gas sensor 51.Therefore, more air can be in contact with the sensing element 52through the permeable layer 54, thereby helping improve detectionaccuracy of the gas sensor 51.

The first circuit board 50 is located in the air channel 3, a gap G1 isdisposed between the first circuit board and the second lower boundarywall 3B of the air channel 3, and the gap G1 is closed at an upstreamside of the first circuit board 50 adjacent to the air inlet 31, so thatmore air flows above the first circuit board 50 and flows through thegas sensor 51.

An air filter 62 between the air detection device 5 and the fan 4 may bedisposed adjacent to the air detection device 5. The air filter 62 maybe higher than the permeable layer 54.

In an embodiment, the air sanitation device 1 may include a carryingplate 7A located in the housing 2. The carrying plate 7A is locatedbetween the first housing 28 and the second housing 29. The airdetection device 5 and the air purification device 6 are carried on thecarrying plate 7A. The air channel 3 is located at a side of thecarrying plate 7A on which the air detection device 5 and the airpurification device 6 are mounted and defines a lower boundary of acorresponding segment of the air channel 3.

The fan 4 is supported by the carrying plate 7A, the inlet 41 of the fan4 faces the carrying plate 7A, and a gap G2 is disposed between theinlet and an upper surface of the carrying plate 7A. The control unit 16and the power supply unit 63 are fixed to a rear part of the carryingplate 7A.

The first circuit board 50 is fixed to the carrying plate 7A. The firstcircuit board 50 may be substantially parallel to the carrying plate 7A,and the gap G1 is disposed between a lower surface of the first circuitboard and the upper surface of the carrying plate 7A. The gap G1 isclosed by a closing portion 58 at the upstream side of the first circuitboard 50, so that air cannot enter the gap G1.

As shown in FIG. 6, in an embodiment, the control unit 16 and the powersupply unit 63 are disposed adjacent to a rear wall 22. The baffle walls161 and 631 are respectively disposed around the control unit 16 and thepower supply unit 63, to separate from the air channel 3.

Therefore, the air channel 3 extends transversely toward the middle fromtwo sides of the housing 2, respectively, and then extends rearwardafter gathering in the fan 4. Therefore, air flows transversely in afront part of the housing 2 after entering the housing 2 from the twosides of the housing 2, flows toward the rear part of the housing 2after entering the fan 4, and is discharged out of the housing 2, thatis, returns to the storage compartment 101.

The outlet 42 of the fan 4 faces the air outlet 32 located at the rearpart of the housing 2. The ion generator 61 is located between theoutlet 42 and the air outlet 32. The outlet 42 of the fan 4 directlyfaces the ion generator 61.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second channel segment 39 may include anexpansion segment 351 that is adjacent to the outlet 42 of the fan 4,and a width of which is gradually increased. Therefore, an end of theexpansion segment adjacent to the outlet 42 of the fan 4 may have asmaller width, and in addition, the housing 2 still has an enough sizefor arranging the air outlet 32. This helps prevent corners that maytrap air from being formed next to the outlet 42 of the fan 4, and inaddition, the air outlet 32 distributed in a wider region helps airlocated downstream of the fan 4 be smoothly discharged out of thehousing 2.

The ion generator 61 may be a point discharge ion generator. The iongenerator 61 may also generate ozone by-products for sterilization whengenerating ions. Referring to FIG. 7 in combination with FIG. 6, the iongenerator 61 may include a channel 611, and a tip ion generationcomponent 612 is located in the channel 611. An inlet of the channel 611faces the outlet 42 of the fan 4.

An outlet of the ion generator 61 may face the air outlet 32, so thatproducts of the ion generator 61 may enter the storage compartment 101through the air outlet 32 as rapidly as possible. The ion generator 61may be disposed in such a way that the ions have a tendency to flowtoward the air outlet 32.

As shown in FIG. 7, in an embodiment, the air channel 3 may disposed insuch a way that at least a part of air is obliquely downward dischargedout of the housing 2. Therefore, air including germicidal substances mayflow obliquely downward, to further help the germicidal substances flowto other parts of the storage compartment 101. It is particularlyadvantageous that, the air flowing obliquely downward from the top partof the storage compartment 101 and including the germicidal substancesmay join airflow that is discharged from the air duct 103 located in therear part of the storage compartment 101 and that flows forward, whichhelps the germicidal substances follow the airflow discharged from theair duct 103 to places where the forced air circulation passes.

As shown in FIG. 7, a depressed portion 1010 may be disposed in a topwall 1001, to mount the air sanitation device 1. In an embodiment, theupper wall 24 of the housing 2 is located in the depressed portion 1010and defines an upper boundary of the air channel 3, and the air outlet32 is located outside the depressed portion 1010. The upper wall 24 hasa guiding portion 241 for guiding air downward to the air outlet 32, sothat the air is guided to the air outlet 32 located outside thedepressed portion 1010. On the one hand, this helps the air beaccurately guided to the air outlet 32 and be smoothly discharged out ofthe housing 2. On the other hand, when the air is discharged out of thehousing 2, at least a part of the air may be guided by the guidingportion 241 to flow obliquely downward toward the air outlet 32, so thatat least a part of the air can flow obliquely downward.

The guiding portion 241 may include a slope that slopes from top tobottom. The slope may include a plane and/or a curved surface. A rearend of the guiding portion 241 may be connected to the rear wall 22 ofthe housing 2 provided with the air outlet 32. The rear end of theguiding portion 241 may be adjacent to the air outlet 32 and locatedabove the air outlet 32.

A length of the guiding portion 241 may be greater than an entire lengthcovering the ion generator 61 and cover the entire ion generator 61, sothat air flows more smoothly toward the air outlet 32.

In an embodiment, the air sanitation device 1 includes the housing 2provided with the air channel 3, and the air detection device 5 and/orthe air purification device 6 located in the air channel 3. As shown inFIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the housing 2 includes a light outlet 25, the airsanitation device 1 includes an illumination device 9, and theillumination device 9 is located in the housing 2 to generate lightadapted to pass through the light outlet 25. The light outlet 25 facesthe storage compartment 101, to illuminate the storage compartment 101.

The light outlet 25 may be a through hole passing through the housing 2,or be formed through a light permeable wall of the housing 2.

The air sanitation device 1 includes a partition member 7, and thepartition member 7 separates the illumination device 9 from the airchannel 3, so that air is adapted to flow along a first side of thepartition member 7, and the illumination device 9 is located between asecond side of the partition member 7 and the light outlet 25.

By using the partition member 7 to separate the illumination device 9from the air channel 3, air entering the housing 2 from outside may beseparated from the illumination device 9, which particularly helpsimprove the service life of the air sanitation device 1 having theillumination device 9.

In an embodiment, the partition member 7 and the housing 2 togetherdefine an accommodating space 70 isolated from the air channel 3, andthe illumination device 9 is located in the accommodating space 70.

When the air sanitation device 1 is arranged on the top part of thestorage compartment 101, the air channel 3 having the air detectiondevice 5 and/or the air purification device 6 is located above theillumination device 9. Both the accommodating space 70 and the airchannel 3 may be in a flat structure. The accommodating space 70 may bedistributed approximately parallel to the air channel 3.

The partition member 7 may include a carrying plate 7A for mounting theair detection device 5 and/or the air purification device 6. The airdetection device 5 and/or the air purification device 6 may be fixed tothe first side of the partition member 7. In an embodiment, the airdetection device 5, the air purification device 6, and the fan 4 aremounted at the first side of the partition member 7 away from the lightoutlet 25. The control unit 16 and the power supply unit 63 may also bemounted at the first side of the partition member 7.

The partition member 7 and these electronic devices carried in thepartition member 7 may be pre-assembled to form a pre-assembly module7B.

The partition member 7 may include a main board portion 71 and asideboard 72 extending from an edge of the main board portion 71 towardthe light outlet 25. In this embodiment, the air sanitation device 1 ismounted on the top part of the storage compartment 101, the light outlet25 is located at the bottom part of the housing 2, and the sideboard 72extends downward from the main board portion 71.

The air detection device 5, the air purification device 6, and the fan 4are mounted on the main board portion 71, so that the main board portion71 forms the carrying plate 7A. The control unit 16 and the power supplyunit 63 may also be mounted on the main board portion 71. The main boardportion 71 may have a plurality of protrusions 711 protruding in adirection away from the light outlet 25, to fix these components.

A distal end of the sideboard 72 may overlap a lower wall 23 of thehousing 2. The distal end of the sideboard 72 may overlap the lower wall23 of the housing 2 by surrounding the light outlet 25. The airsanitation device 1 may include a first fixing mechanism configured tofix the partition member 7 to the housing 2. The first fixing mechanismmay be configured to be adapted to generate a force that makes thedistal end of the sideboard 72 tightly butt against the housing 2. Thisway helps reduce a probability that air enters the accommodating space70 through a gap between the sideboard 72 and the housing 2.

The first fixing mechanism may include a plurality of hooks 26 disposedin the housing 2, and the hooks 26 are connected to the partition member7 so that a force toward the lower wall 23 of the housing 2 is appliedto the partition member 7. The hooks 26 may be distributed around thelight outlet 25, and hook on an edge of the main board portion 71.

The illumination device 9 may be mounted at the second side of thepartition member 7 facing the light outlet 25. In an embodiment, themain board portion 71 and the sideboard 72 enclose an accommodatingcavity 701 opening toward the light outlet 25, and the illuminationdevice 9 is at least partially located in the accommodating cavity 701.The accommodating cavity 701 may constitute at least main part of theaccommodating space 70.

As shown in FIG. 9, an illumination device 9 includes a light source 91.The light source 91 may include an LED light emitting element (notlabeled) and a circuit board 93 carrying the light emitting element. Inan embodiment, the circuit board 93 extends along a sideboard 72 and islocated at a side in the accommodating cavity 701.

A partition member 7 may have a first slot 74 extending along thesideboard 72, and the circuit board 93 extends into the first slot 74. Adepth of the first slot 74 is greater than depths of other parts of theaccommodating cavity 701 in the partition member 7.

The illumination device 9 may include a light guide plate 94 and a framebar 95 fixing the light source 91 to an end of the light guide plate 94.

The frame bar 95 has a protrusion 951 supporting the circuit board 93and protruding toward the first slot 74, and the protrusion 951 extendsinto the first slot 74, so that the circuit board 93 also extends intothe first slot 74.

The illumination device 9 may include a light diffuser 96. The lightdiffuser 96 covers an outer side of the light guide plate 94, and thelight source 91 and the light guide plate 94 are located between a mainboard portion 71 and the light diffuser 96.

In an embodiment, the light diffuser 96 may be fixed to the partitionmember 7, so that the light source 91 and the light guide plate 94 aremounted in the accommodating cavity 701. For example, periphery of thelight diffuser 96 may be connected to the sideboard 72 by buckles.

In an exemplary embodiment, the light diffuser 96 may be in a shallowtray shape opening toward the partition member 7, and the light source91 and the light guide plate 94 are accommodated in the light diffuser96.

The light source 91, the light guide plate 94, and the light diffuser 96may be together mounted at the partition member 7 after forming apre-assembly unit.

The light diffuser 96 is at least partially accommodated in thepartition member 7. For example, a side wall of the light diffuser 96 islocated in the accommodating cavity 701.

In an embodiment, a surface of the light diffuser 96 facing a lightoutlet 25 does not exceed a distal end surface of the sideboard 72.

The surface of the light diffuser 96 facing the light outlet 25 may besubstantially flush with the distal end of the sideboard 72.

The partition member 7 has an end surface 76 adjacent to a side wall 21having an air inlet 31, and the end surface 76 is exposed in the airchannel 3. A gap is disposed between the end surface 76 and the sidewall 21 of the housing 2. The side wall 21 has an oblique portion 210,an angle is disposed between the oblique portion and the end surface 76,and the air inlet 31 passes through the oblique portion 210. This canreduce occurrence of a case that the air entering the air channel 3directly flows toward the end surface 76 and is blocked.

In an embodiment, the housing 2 includes a first housing 28 and a secondhousing 29, and the first housing 28 is connected to the second housing29 to form a receiving space 201. The second housing member 29 has thelight outlet 25. An accommodating space 70 for accommodating theillumination device 9 is formed between the partition member 7 and thesecond housing 29.

A second accommodating space 202 for accommodating an air detectiondevice 5 and/or an air purification device 6 is disposed between thefirst housing 28 and the partition member 7. At least most of the airchannel 3 is located between the first housing 28 and the partitionmember 7.

In an embodiment, the air inlet 31 is located in the second housing 29.The air inlet 31 may be at least partially lower than an upper surfaceof the main board portion 71 facing the first housing 28, and disposedobliquely so that air entering the air inlet 31 flows toward the firsthousing 28, thereby helping avoid a case that air entering the airchannel 3 through the air inlet 31 is blocked by the partition member 7and wind resistance is increased.

A lower edge of the air outlet 32 may be substantially flush with anupper surface of the partition member 7 facing the first housing 28, sothat air flows to the air outlet 32 along the upper surface of thepartition member 7.

The air outlet 32 may be disposed in the second housing 29. The secondhousing 29 may include a convex portion 295 protruding toward thepartition member 7. An inner side of the convex portion 295 may betightly adjacent to or be in contact with the side board 72 of thepartition member 7 and the air outlet 32 is disposed on the convexportion 295, so that the air outlet 32 is tightly adjacent to the uppersurface of the partition member 7, and air flowing along the uppersurface of the partition member 7 can smoothly flow to the air outlet32.

A first sunk part 282 may be disposed at rear ends of two sides of thefirst housing 28, to reduce air blown to the control unit 16 or thepower supply unit 63. A second sunk part 283 may be further disposed inthe first housing 28, to accommodate cables and terminals.

The air sanitation device 1 may be fixed in a depressed portion 1010 byusing a plurality of hooks 285 located in the first housing 28.

Various embodiments illustrated with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 maybe combined with each other in any given manner to realize the advantageof the present invention. In addition, the present invention is notlimited to the shown embodiments. Usually, apart from the shown means,other means can also be used as long as the means can also achieve thesame effect.

1. An air sanitation device for a refrigerator, comprising: a housing;an air channel disposed in said housing and having an air inlet and anair outlet; a fan disposed in said air channel to force air to entersaid air channel from said air inlet, and then be discharged out of saidair channel from said air outlet, said fan having an inlet; and an airdetection device and/or an air purification device disposed between saidair inlet and said inlet of said fan.
 2. The air sanitation deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said air detection device has a circuitboard and a gas sensor fixed to said circuit board.
 3. The airsanitation device according to claim 2, wherein: said air channel isconfigured to enable the air to flow along a side of said circuit boardto which said gas sensor is fixed; and a direction that said inlet ofsaid fan faces is opposite to a direction in which said gas sensorprotrudes from said circuit board.
 4. The air sanitation deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein: said housing has a pair of boundary wallsdisposed in opposite arrangement to define at least a part of said airchannel; said gas sensor protrudes from said circuit board toward afirst boundary wall of said pair of boundary walls; and said inlet ofsaid fan faces a second boundary wall of said pair of boundary walls,and said gas sensor is closer to said first boundary wall than saidinlet of said fan.
 5. The air sanitation device according to claim 4,wherein: said first boundary wall is disposed above said second boundarywall; said gas sensor protrudes upward from said circuit board towardsaid first boundary wall; said inlet of said fan faces downward towardsaid second boundary wall; and said gas sensor has an upper end which ishigher than said inlet of said fan.
 6. The air sanitation deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein said air detection device contains acavity having an inlet, a permeable layer and said gas sensor enclosedin said cavity, said permeable layer covering said inlet of said cavity,and said permeable layer is higher than said inlet of said fan.
 7. Theair sanitation device according to claim 6, wherein said permeable layeris higher than at least a part of said air inlet.
 8. The air sanitationdevice according to claim 2, wherein said air detection device having aclosing portion; and further comprising a carrying plate disposed insaid housing, said circuit board being fixed to said carrying plate, agap is disposed between said circuit board and said carrying plate, andthe gap is closed by said closing portion at an upstream side of saidcircuit board close to said air inlet.
 9. The air sanitation deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said housing has a first boundary wall anda second boundary wall in opposite arrangement to define said airchannel, wherein said air detection device and/or said air purificationdevice is fixed to said second boundary wall, and said air inlet isconfigured to enable the air to enter said air inlet and then flowobliquely toward said first boundary wall.
 10. The air sanitation deviceaccording to claim 9, wherein said inlet of said fan faces said secondboundary wall, so that the air flows obliquely downward at least in somesegments between said air detection device and/or said air purificationdevice and said inlet of said fan.
 11. The air sanitation deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said housing contains an upper wall, alower wall, and a side wall, said side wall contains an oblique portioninclined downward, said air inlet is disposed on said oblique portion,and said inlet of said fan is open downward.
 12. The air sanitationdevice according to claim 1, wherein said air purification devicecontains: an air filter disposed between said air inlet and said fan;and/or a sterilization device disposed between said fan and said airoutlet.
 13. The air sanitation device according to claim 1, furthercomprising a partition member and an illumination device disposed insaid housing; wherein said housing has a light outlet formed therein;and wherein said air detection device and/or said air purificationdevice are disposed at a first side of said partition member away fromsaid light outlet, and said illumination device is located at a secondside of said partition member facing said light outlet.
 14. Arefrigerator, comprising: a storage compartment; and the air sanitationdevice according to claim 1, said air sanitation device being disposedin said storage compartment.
 15. The refrigerator according to claim 14,wherein: said storage compartment has a top wall; and said airsanitation device is fixed to said top wall of said storage compartment,said air channel is configured to enable the air to be discharged outfrom a rear part of said housing obliquely downward.